Anyone near Lewes?

Would be so good to see any of you who fancy coming to this reading. I've attended the Needlewriters evenings as an audience member before and it's been a brilliant experience, not least because it's a great venue (with cake as well as wine) and there's an excellent inspiring atmosphere. If you do manage to get there, please say hello if I don't know you...


NEEDLEWRITERS

FINE WRITING
and delicious food and drink, at the Needlemakers Café, West Street, Lewes
(for details and map see www.needlemakers.co.uk)

READING, THURSDAY JUNE 11

Prose: SARAH SALWAY
Poetry: ANDIE LEWENSTEIN
Prose: JULIE CORBIN


Sarah Salway is the author of two novels, Something Beginning With and Tell Me Everything (Bloomsbury) and a collection of short stories, Leading the Dance (bluechrome). She judged the short story competition for The New Writer magazine this year, and is currently editing her second short story collection.

Andie Lewenstein has published poems and stories in anthologies and won the Ware Poets sonnet prize. She is currently drawing inspiration from fairy tale and the forest where she lives. She has taught creative writing in Adult Education, on Emerson College’s Word Work course, and she was co-director of the annual Poetry Otherwise conference in Forest Row.

Julie Corbin studied creative writing at Sussex University. Her first novel, Tell Me No Secrets, was shortlisted for two competitions: the Daily Telegraph's 'Novel in a Year' and the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook 'first 10,000 words of a novel.' The paperback will be published in July and has already been described by one reviewer as 'an absolute corker.' She is currently working on her second novel, also a psychological thriller.



– DOORS OPEN 7 pm, READINGS BEGIN 7.45 pm
If you plan to have supper at the Café, it’s probably a good idea to arrive in time to order and eat before the readings start.

– TICKETS: £5 (£3 unwaged), in advance from Skylark (Needlemakers) or at the door on the night.

Eye eye

To London last night to listen to Tobias Hill, Caroline Bird and Don Paterson read poems on the theme of EYES. It was part of a series of readings organised by the charity, Poet in the City.

Some random notes I made on the train on the way back from the reading, and also the discussion afterwards:

* We remember 75% times as much by scent than any other sense (from a question from a member of the audience about how important sight was in poetry)

* A week from which you can't remember any clear images hasn't been a good week at all (Caroline Bird)

* Tobias Hill talked about his good eyesight and how this influenced his poetry. A member of the audience said she was a visual artist with short sight and she found this useful in her work, as she could get the form but not get overwhelmed by the details. And also short sighted people see things better close up.

* Tobias Hill said he looks at things first and only then uses his imagination. I think I mostly work the other way round, and will get inspiration from snippets of stories heard and then look for images, but I might try to be more conscious of my process.

* TH (again) in his poem, Repossession, had the beautiful image of a derelict house becoming 'homeless'...

* and before reading a prose poem, said that poetry on the page was like dried soup. It needed to be read to become whole.

* Don Paterson said that most poets he knew loved watching films, and there were close links between films and poetry.

But I was only half listening towards the end because I kept thinking of a short story based around 'I see what you mean' - someone that actually does SEE images of meaning. Hence it's my prompt for today!

(nb the photograph of a useful portable collection of false eyes comes from a visit to the Wellcome Library, where the reading took place. They are, worryingly, exactly the same colour as my eyes.)

Good looking event...

Another Scatterlings evening at the Marlowe on Wed 10th October
2007

On Wednesday October 10th at 7.30pm in the Marlowe Theatre Bar, in
Canterbury, Scatterlings are putting on another of their evenings of poetry
and music.

A varied programme of thought-provoking, entertaining and (sometimes) comic
poetry from the prize-winning trio of poets - Mark Holihan, Geraldine Paine
and Sue Rose - two of whom are shortlisted for the 2007 Canterbury Poet of
the Year Award; sharp lyrics and heady music from Steve
Antoni, London-based singer-songwriter, who has performed all over the
country, including London's Ronnie Scott's and Maidstone's Soul Café; and
jazz and classical standards from Kevin Kay-Bradley, trumpeter and pianist,
who has played at Westminster Palace, among other places. The evening, which

will be MC'd by Lynne Rees, should be great fun - so why not come along?

Tickets (£7.50/£6.50) from the Marlowe Box Office on 01227 787787

We would also appreciate it if you could send this email on to any lists you

think may find this of interest.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Sue Rose/Geraldine Paine/Mark Holihan for Scatterlings
Scatterlings@hotmail.co.uk
http://www.poetrypf.co.uk/suerosepage.html
http://www.poetrypf.co.uk/geraldinepainepage.html